A coronavirus task force said on Thursday (Jan 20) that Thailand will resume its “Test & Go” waiver for vaccinated arrivals on Feb 1, as a result of slowing COVID-19 infections.
Because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant globally and uncertainty about its effectiveness, the scheme was suspended after only seven weeks. In accordance with the policy, visitors will be required to test upon arrival and again 5 days later, while their whereabouts will be tracked, said spokesperson Taweesin Wisanuyothin.
Thai authorities are attempting to boost a tourism industry decimated by the pandemic, whose numbers have been slowed by weak global travel demand and the country’s stringent quarantine regulations. Restaurants may now serve alcohol until 11 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. Bars and clubs will remain closed, however.
Additionally, the task force agreed to expand another similar quarantine waiver program, the “Sandbox,” to include popular east coast vacation destinations Pattaya and Koh Chang. The scheme, which requires tourists with vaccinations to stay in a single location for a week, is currently operating on Phuket and Koh Samui.
Thailand, one of Asia’s most popular travel destinations, saw about 0.5 percent of the pre-pandemic figure in 2019, which reached a record of nearly 40 million.
In Thailand, there have been 2.3 million infections and nearly 22,000 deaths associated with Coronavirus. About two-thirds of residents are vaccinated and 15 percent are receiving booster shots.